wahlert



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1..

' H. A.'WAHLE B,T.

STEAM PUMP.

No. 396,247. Patented Jan, 15, 1889..

N. PUERS. mwmhq m Wlihingion, n. a

3 Shets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

11.. A. WAHLERT.

STEAM P MP,

Elm 396.247.

Patented Jan. 15,1889.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

EA. WAHLERT.

STE'AM PUMP.

. Patehted'Jan. 15, 1889.

Vii/ 42274 N. PEYERS. Plwlolilhugrap'wr, Wuhingtnn. D. C.

Fries.

HENRY A. VAHLERT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BRAKE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STEAM-PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,247, dated January 15, 1889.

Application filed September 13, 1888. erial No. 285,289- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. \VAHLERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Pumps; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, aml exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein 1o Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a pump embodying my invention on the line :1: a, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of fullline arrow. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 y, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the dotted arrow, to show the steamports leading to the cylinder. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same on the line y y, Fig. 1.

I Like letters and figures denote like parts wherever they occur.

My present invention relates to the construction of the steam-valves of double-acting steam-pumps, and has for its object to simplify the construction and increase the effect- 2 5 iveness of such valves.

The devices belong to the class known as piston-valves, and are of the character which are shifted in part or in whole by the piston at or near the termination of its stroke.

The main features of the present invention are embraced in the combination, with the main piston-valves which control the exhaust and live steam ports of the cylinder, of connected tappetvalves which are actuated pri- 3 5 marily by the pistons and secondarily by steam, whereby the operation of the valves is rendered both certain or positive and even or uniform.

There are minor features of novelty embraced in certain features of construction and in special combinations, all of which will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more-fully, so that others skilled in the'art to 45 which it appertains may apply the same.

I have chosen for purposes of illustration to show the invention in connection with an airpump, though I do not desire or intend to be so limited in the application.

In the description hereinafter given I shall use letters of reference for such parts as do not involve my invention, and for such parts any desired construction or equivalent of that shown may in practice be substituted. The parts designated by figures are those which pertain to my invention.

In the drawings, A indicates a steam-cylinder having its piston to, and B a pump-cylinder having its appropriate piston b and suitable induction-ports, c, induction-valves cl, 6o eduction-ports e, eduction-valves f, and the common. eduction-pipe, F, leading therefrom. The cylinders A B are arranged in line and connected by a hollow bridge, 1, while the pistons a Z) are connected by a piston-rod, C, -6 5 common to both pistons, which pistons pass through the glands or stuffing-boxes g h on the adjacent cylinder-heads G and H.

The hollow bridge 1, which connects the cylinder-heads G and H, constitutes the valye- 7o chamber of the steamcylinder, and for 0011- venience I prefer to cast said hollow bridge 1 with the two heads G and II.

The bridge 1 has a central bore or chamber, I 2, extending through both cylinder-heads and constituting the cylinder of the piston-valves, and two longitudinal passages extending through one head onlynamely, the head G of the steam-cylinder. Of these two latter passages that marked 3 is the steam-port leading to the near side of the piston a, and that marked at the steam port or passage leadin g to the distant side of the piston a. There is also a transverse passage, 5, constituting the exhaust, and a radial passage, 6, having the bifurcation 7 S, constituting the live-steam ports, by which connection is made with the steam-generator.

On.the interior of chamber 2 is a series of five annular grooves, the central one, or that marked 5*, corresponding to and communicating with the exhaust-passage 5, the next adjacent grooves (marked and corre: sponding to and communicating with the respective steampassages 3 and 4, leading to 5 the difli'eren t sides of piston a, while the two outer grooves, or those marked 7 andS, correspond to and communicate with the livesteam passages 7 and 8. The central fourth of the valve-chamber 2, or that lying between the grooves 7* and 8*, is provided with a bushing, 9, having a series of rows of perforations corresponding to the positions of the grooves 3*, 4*, and 5*, and this bushing or lining 9 constitutes what may be termed the cylinder of the main piston-valve.

At each end of the chamber 2 is a screwplug, 10, having the cup or cylinder section 11 reduced on its exterior to form. an annular steam-chamber, 12, which communicates with the interior of the cup or cylinder section 11 by a port or ports, 13, and also communicates with one of the live-steam grooves or passages, (7* or 8*,) by which means live steam is permitted to enter cup or cylinder section 11 when port 13 is closed.

On each screw-plug 10 back of the steamchamber 12 is an independent annular groove, 14, and through the center of the screw-plug is a hole, 15, for the passage of the tappet piston-rod. The annular groove 14, last mentioned, and the central passage are connected by a port or ports, 16.

The port 16 and groove 11 are connected with the exhaust by passage 11* and serve to relieve the tappet-piston of any steam which may be trapped in the cylinder-cup 11, as will hereinafter appear.

17 indicates the main steam-valve, which is of piston form, connected by the tube or sleeve 18, and adapted and arranged to span (alternately) the exhaust-groove 5* and one or the other of the steam-grooves 3* or 4*, so as to place the opposite sides of the piston b alternately in communication with the exhaust and with the live-steam grooves 7* and 8*.

19 19 indicate two piston-valves, each pro vided with a boss, 20, one piston located in the cup or cylinder 11 of each screw-plug or bushing 10, and the two pistons connected by a piston-rod, 21, common to both, which pistonrod projects beyond the piston-valves 19 at both ends to form tappet-rods 22. The pistonrod 21 passes loosely through the main steamvalve 17, so that the tappet-valves 19 may have a primary or initial movement independent of the main valve, which latter is only moved by the tappet-valves 19 (or by boss 20 thereon) during the latter part of their stroke.

The tappet-rods 22 have circumferential grooves 23 and project through the central holes, 15, of the screw-plugs of bushings 10, so as to stand in the path of the piston b and be struck thereby at or near the close of the stroke of the piston.

The valve, being constructed substantially as hereinbefore specified, will operate as follows: As shown in the drawings, the piston a has been taking steam on its near side through ports 3 3* 7* 7 and exhausting from its far side through 4 4* and exhaust 5* 5, the pumppiston b is nearing the end of its inner stroke, and the tappet-rod 22 of the tappet pistonvalve of that side projects into the pumpcylinder and stands in the path of the piston b. The further movement of piston b strikes the projecting tappet-rod 22 and forces the pistonrod 21 and two valves, 19, over until said valves 21 have passed over ports 13 of cups or cylinders 11. This initial movement of the piston valves 19, caused by the piston 2 it will be noted, opens the port 13 of cylinder 11 which is next to cylinder 13, (or at the right-hand, Fig. 1,) and puts it in communication with the live-steam inlet 6 by way of annular steamchamber 12, groove 8*, and passage 8, so that the live steam enters chamber or cylinder 11, (next to cylinder 15) and completes the movement of piston-vah es 19 and throws valves 17. At the same time that the port 13 011 the right-hand is opened to admit steam the port 13 on the left-hand, or that next to cylinder A, is closed toward the live-steam chamber 12 of said side by the passage or movement of left-hand piston-valve 19 to the other side of said port 13, and the groove 23 on the left-hand tappet-rod 22 is brought into position to connect the cylinder 11 (next cylinder, A) with the exhaust 5 by way of left-hand port 16, passage 14, port 14*, and exhaust-groove 5*, and thus left-hand cylinder 11 will be relieved of any steam trapped in said cylinder 11 by the initial movement of the pistons 19 caused by piston 12. The same description applies to the righthand cylinder 11 when the valve is reversed. The final movement of tappet piston-valve 19 causes boss 20 to strike the main valves 17 and shift the same, so as to connect the exhaust-passages 5* 5 and the passages 3* 3 with the near side of piston a, and connect the live-steam ports 8 8* 1* atwith the far side of piston a, which reverses the stroke of the piston a, and the piston to now travels inward. As the piston a closes its stroke, it in turn strikes the projecting tappet-rod, and by a succession of the steps before mentioned the steam-valve 19 is again reversed and resumes its first position, or that shown in the drawings.

The advantages arising from myinvention are, first, the positive shifting of the valve arising from the action of the piston directly on the tappet; second, the uniform and smooth movement of the valve resulting from the completion of its stroke by the steam; third, the compactness and strength of the structure due to the location of the valve in the hollow bridge connecting the cylinders, and, finally, the simplicity of the "alve resulting from the special construction devised.

Having thus described the nature, advantages, and operation of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination, with the adjacent heads of two cylinders, of a third interposed cylinder which connects said heads and forms the cylinder of a piston-valve as well as a bric ge, substantially as and for the purposes specified. I

2. The combination of two cylinders having connected pistons, an intermediate valve chamber, and a tappet valve provided with tappet-rods adapted to enter the cylinders in the path of the pistons, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with two cylinders having connected pistons, of an intermediate valve-chamber, combined tappet and steamactuated valves having tappets arranged to be struck by the pistons, and a main valve arranged to be actuated by the final movement of the tappet-valves, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination,with the valve-chamber having suitable live-steam and exhaust ports, of two piston tappet-valves connected to move in unison and an intermediate valve arranged loosely on the rod which connects the two tappet-valves, adapted to be moved at or near the close of the stroke of the tappet-valves substantially as and for the purposes specified.

presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of July, 1888.

' HENRY A. VAHLERT.

\Vitnesses:

JNo. R. WILLIAMS, JOHN C. H. STEVENSON. 

